Christmas With the Cullens
by Gold Eyed Girl
Summary: The Cullens at Christmas! I know you see a lot of these around this time of year, but please just try it, I think you'll like it, it's good even if you don't celebrate Christmas! Decorations, snowball fights, and a half human Santa Claus for Nessie! Funny
1. Decorating with Alice

**Hi! I know I've been slacking on the writing on Vampire Witch, but I really wanted to get this up before the Holidays. It would have been up sooner, but I'm awful with deadlines.**

**This idea was not mine, I was PMing with IntoTheLiquidTopaz, and she mentioned that it would be cool to see how the Cullen's celebrated Christmas, and I had an idea that she gave me the go ahead to write! Check out her stories, she's an amazing author.**

**I also want to thank my incredible beta, faerie kitten! I give her a very highly recommended as well!**

**This is for both you guys!**

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"C'mon Bella, I need your help!"

I sighed. There was no way Alice could need me that badly, not with the way she had with getting things done. The men had gone hunting, and the rest of us were decorating the house. Christmas was only two weeks away.

Regardless, I left my spot by Edward's vast music collection and dashed down the stairs. Outside, I came to an abrupt stop, and my eyes widened.

I had known Alice would go overboard, but I had not expected this. Lights, wreaths, and decorations of every description littered the lawn. Alice was on the roof, hanging the thick multi-colored lights while Renesmee stood below, feeding the line to her while making sure it didn't drag or get caught. She glanced up when she heard me and beamed, showing her dimples. I couldn't help but smile back. It was her second Christmas, but the first alone with the family, without her life being threatened and a bunch of vampires packed into this relatively small space. She now resembled a five or six year old, but had lost more baby fat than most children that age. Her body was lean and well proportioned, her bronze curls now falling to her waist. I had convinced Alice to let me cut them before they grew so long that she could step on them and fall. She had a considerable amount more grace than the average human, but my mortal clumsiness had shown itself every now and again, and I didn't want to tempt fate. We had done enough of that.

"What's this all about?" I inquired of Alice, not bothering to raise my voice. She would hear me, even three stories up.

"Well," she stated matter-of-factly, not looking away from her work. "As we didn't have much opportunity to celebrate last year, I figured we might as well make the most of this one."

I rolled my eyes, but secretly I agreed. Christmas had never been a big thing in my family, but I didn't want it to be that way for Renesmee. She deserved the happy memories, and we had to make the most of her short childhood.

"And what do you need me to do?" I was still doubtful of my use here. I should have known better, Alice always had something planned.

"Rosalie and Esme will be back in exactly twenty-seven seconds. Rose'll want help decorating the tree, and Esme wants to try to bake cookies." She wrinkled her nose at the thought of the raw ingredients, but I thought it was a good idea. Between the werewolves and Nessie, who was trying to like human food, it was nice to have snacks around. It also saved wasting the food we bought as part of the human charade.

Ten seconds after this exchange, and I could hear the other women returning. True to Alice's prediction, they were in the yard seventeen seconds later. They were each supporting either end of a huge pine tree, a good ten feet tall, with a wide trunk. I knew one of them could have carried it home alone, but balancing a thick tree while running at vampire speeds was no simple task. It was possible, but a slower process than simply running. It was easier just to have someone else come along. And we got a better selection by choosing our own, straight from the forest.

"Sorry," Rose apologized, gesturing to the tree. "There wasn't much to chose from."

I couldn't find anything wrong with it, but Alice was already comforting her. "Don't worry, it will look perfect once you decorate it."

Rosalie accepter this, her face lit up and she turned to me. "Ready Bella?"

I smiled back and nodded. "Let's go."

Esme laughed. "You girls have fun. Wish me luck with these stubborn recipes!"

We giggled with her and obliged. Rose grabbed the trunk of the tree and I lifted the top so it wouldn't drag all the way. Our first challenge came in getting it through the door, but it was quickly managed with some tucking and pulling to get the boughs to fit through the frame. No doubt Alice would want to find a better method for next year. We stood it in the living room, near the fireplace, and I was contemplating how lucky it was that this room had a high ceiling. Rosalie broke my reverie all to quickly.

"Ornaments…" she mused. I groaned. This was going to be difficult. Only Alice knew the order to the chaos outside.

We eventually found the many boxes of ornaments in the yard, along with some strings of popcorn, which we proceeded to string around the tree. It was a lot of fun, and we finished quickly. The tree looked perfect, just as Alice had said.

An awful smell of burning food told me things weren't going so well in the kitchen. Rosalie and I rushed in to find Esme hitting flames with her apron. It didn't take her two seconds to put out the tiny oven fire, and when she turned to look at us her expression was so full of childlike disappointment that we doubled over laughing. The corners of her mouth twitched, fighting a smile, but she ended up laughing too.

"I suppose that could have gone better," she mused after we had recovered. "I didn't know what to do when it said to 'take them out when they smell ready to eat'." She held up her cookbook. "Simplest of Cooking: For Those With Challenges in the Kitchen." The ridiculous title nearly set me over the edge again, but I resisted the urge to laugh. Barely.

"Don't worry, Esme," I comforted her, taking the cookbook and patting her arm. "No one will miss them. You can try again with a cookbook that gives better measurements."

My words did it for Rosalie, and she turned her back in an attempt to hide her giggles. It was useless of course, Esme could see her quivering.

"Oh, stop," she scolded playfully, moving past the unfortunate batch of cookies. "Next time, you can try."

We were still laughing when Alice danced in. I was surprised she hadn't come sooner, but she must have seen that everything would be alright.

"It's finished," she stated simply, grinning from ear to ear. We straightened up at once, eager to see the house. Alice's smile didn't change as she blocked our path to the living room. "Close your eyes and follow me," she commanded. We obeyed, Esme at once, Rose and me more reluctantly.

We didn't need sight, we could hear Alice's footsteps, and we all knew the path out of the house well, so there was no danger of anyone running into anything. I could almost feel the anticipation quivering in the air as we stepped outside, moving far enough to get a full view when we opened our eyes.

"The boys will be back in a couple minutes, but I won't make you wait that long," Alice said charitably. "Turn around and open your eyes!" She sounded like a game show hostess. I laughed as I whirled, my eyes flicking open.

I was stunned by the sight that met my eyes. My laugh was stuck in my throat, and my mouth wouldn't close. The house had been transformed. Colored lights were laced around the edges of the roof, with twinkling snowflakes dangling down from them. Garlands bordered the doorframe, flowing downward to curl around the porch railing. Candy canes lined the walk, and reindeer and miniature sleighs were artistically place around the yard and on the roof. Everything lit up, from the wreaths on the door to the trees bordering the yard. The house was something out of a Christmas card or a dream, and it was beautiful. Alice had done an amazing job, as always.

From the pleased look she had from our reactions, I could tell Alice knew what was going though our minds. Renesmee was bouncing with excitement next to her.

"Wait until you see the inside!" She bubbled, tugging my hand impatiently. I let her lead me into the living room, which Alice had decorated so fast it was mind blowing. There were festive pictures and wreaths on the walls, garlands and holy twined around the banister, and mistletoe hung from the doorway. Pinecones and various decorations were scattered in different places, but it all fit together perfectly. The tree was the majestic center. The mantle, with Renesmee's stocking, just to the side had a light dusting of fake snow surrounding a simple yet beautiful nativity scene.

"You didn't leave anything out," I commented to Alice, as I stared in wonder.

"No," she agreed quietly. "It's as human as I could make it."

"It's too perfect to be human," I corrected her. "But it's still incredible." And it was.

My daughter's first real Christmas would be a thing to remember. The moment was made more perfect when I heard the men returning. I took one last look at the tree and smiled before heading outside so I could see their reactions to Alice's masterpiece.

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**This chapter was inspired by a family that lives in my neighborhood. Every year they have the most over the top display of decorations. It bugs me so bad, but I thought it fit Alice, although hers looks more artistic and less like a jumbled mess of "let's see how much crap we can put in our yard before the neighbors complain". It. Lights. Up. I'm gritting my teeth just thinking about it, and the cars that come to see and block our driveway! It's so annoying! *deep breath* Sorry, I'll stop ranting now.**

**I this is alright, I wanted to just jump into the story, but I needed a place to start, and I wanted to write about Alice's decorating. I hope I stayed true to her character. The next chapter is better, and the one after that is my pride and joy for the story, so stick with me! Hope you liked it, and don't forget to review! You can even if you don't have an account, I accept anonymous reviews! Happy Holidays!**

**Love, Claire**


	2. Brady Down the Chimney

**OK, for this story, just pretend the werewolves clothes _do_ ****just pop in and out of existence, I tried to keep it to the line of Stephenie's story, but it makes it so much easier to write if they're not constantly getting dressed when they phase. I tried it, I think you'll like this version of it better. **

**Thanks! Now enjoy!**

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On Christmas Eve I put Renesmee to bed in Edward's old room, the family wanted to be there when she opened her stocking, and it was a lot easier to have her do it at the house than the cottage.

Edward and I had wanted to make Christmas morning as real as possible for her, and unlike human children, she could recognize any of our scents. This had posed a slight problem with delivering the gifts, but thanks to Jacob we had come up with a solution, but we needed a younger werewolf's help. She knew the older ones too well.

When Nessie had fallen asleep, I started downstairs to find the others had already gone outside. I joined them on the yard and went to stand by Edward, taking his hand wordlessly, turning like the others to stare into the empty darkness of the forest.

It was a few minutes before anything happened, then they came.

I watched as two wolves appeared out of the forest. The russet furred one, which I knew to be Jacob, came first, followed by an ashy grey. The wolves shimmered and disappeared, and Jacob stepped forward from the spot they had been, right behind him was the sandy haired boy who bore a strong resemblance to Seth, though he was at least a year younger. They had the same gangly build, with too long arms and legs. Their features were similar, and he had the russet skin of all the Quileutes.

Brady's eyes were alight with curiosity and a touch of humor as he took in the surrounding vampires, for the whole family had come to watch. His automatic tensing to our sent was to be expected, but he relaxed quickly, the easy smile still present on his face. He really was a lot like Seth in more ways than one.

Unexpectedly, Edward started laughing. "You didn't tell him?" He directed the question at Jacob, working to control his expression without much success.

Jacob looked sheepishly at Brady, who now looked a little wary of whatever story he had been told.

"Well, not everything," Jacob admitted. Brady glared.

"And what did you conveniently forget to mention, Jake," he asked, his voice inflicted with a bit of steel, arms crossed over his chest. This was a kid who always had to have the full story.

By now the rest of the family was laughing. Esme and Carlisle were trying to hide it, while Emmett was doubled over, clutching his sides. Rosalie, Alice and I had our hands over our mouths, shaking with our silent giggles, and Edward had turned his back so no one saw his amusement, greater than the rest because of the thoughts that Brady must be thinking. Jasper was sending calming waves over us, and controlling himself much better, though his eyes gave him away.

Jacob refused to lose confidence as he explained what Brady had agreed to.

Brady's eyes grew wide, and when Jacob finished, he seemed close to laughter himself. "You seriously want me to do this?" he clarified. Jacob nodded. "Man, you got it tough. All the girls out there and you get the one who can trace your scent." By now he was laughing too, maybe even harder than we were. I was pleased that he didn't seem to have any antagonism against Renesmee; I really didn't think I'd be able to just stand and listen if he did, and that probably wouldn't go over so well with Sam. Brady was in that pack, but he wasn't as set against vampires as some. He preferred to keep his distance, but it was more a precaution than anything else. This was why Nessie had never met him (directly, anyway, he had done his part to help when the Volturi came, but was never singled out), making him our Santa Claus.

Jacob just shrugged. "I wouldn't trade it for anything." Brady nodded that he understood; he had experienced the thoughts with imprinting firsthand through the mind connection. "'Sides, it makes life interesting, to say the least."

Brady grinned at this understatement, and turned to address the rest of us, smile still in place. "Well, should we get on with it?" He turned without waiting for an answer and strode into the forest.

Seconds later, the grey wolf bounded out of the trees once more. In three powerful strides, he leapt nimbly onto the roof. The wolf shimmered and seemed to shrink into itself, and Brady was suddenly standing in its place.

Emmett snickered as Edward took the bag from him and followed Brady to the roof. Brady took it and slung it good-naturedly over his shoulder. "Just to check, whose idea was this?" He said it like an afterthought, but I could tell that he really wanted to know the answer.

"Jacob's" Edward grinned, knowing the true motive better than I could ever guess. "Be thankful, Alice wanted you to dress the part, too."

"Of course." Brady rolled his eyes, not seeming at all surprised by this news. He spun on his heal and looked down at the rest of us, his eyes resting on Jacob's. "You owe me!" he called. His voice was only half joking, unfortunately for Jacob.

Jacob just laughed, waving cheekily. Brady rolled his eyes again, this time more dramatically.

Without another word, he climbed onto the chimney, throwing one leg over the edge and easing himself in. When he was hanging by one hand, he let go completely. I heard him slide down the chimney, and it didn't sound pleasant. I winced when I heard him mutter a curse under his breath about two thirds of the way down. Edward rubbed my arm soothingly.

"He's fine," he murmured reassuringly, too low for anyone else to hear. Sure enough, in the next few seconds I heard Brady stumble out of the fireplace.

"We should've lit a fire when he started climbing down," Emmett muttered teasingly, earning a simultaneous punch from Jacob and Jasper on each arm.

My eyes were glued to the plaster that concealed the chimney. I could hear the rustles and thumps as Brady took things out of the bag and arranged them around the tree and in the stocking.

"How is he planning to get back up?" Esme worried quietly.

"He's going to climb," Edward answered, his eyes unfocused, no doubt he was listening intently to Brady's mind as well as checking Nessie's for any signs that she was waking. I wished I could see what was happening the way Edward could. I could hear Brady kicking his feet into the wall, sliding his back along the bricks. I could even tell where he was, but I didn't know exactly how he was doing it. It was incredibly frustrating.

The climbing process was slow, but a few minutes later Brady emerged. It was a rather comical sight as the empty sack jumped from the chimney as if it had been spit out, but far more humorous was the figure that followed. Brady was coated from head to toe in soot, his clothes hopelessly ruined. He smiled anyway, and his eyes and teeth were a hilarious contrast to his dirty skin.

"Alright, I'll admit that that was a little fun," he confessed, attempting to shake the black dust out of his hair. Anyone who hadn't laughed at his appearance did now, those who had already laughed were laughing even harder. I was beyond grateful that Nessie was a heavy sleeper, the result of many nights in our tiny home.

Brady explained how he had pushed against the walls of the chimney with his back and legs, pulling himself up with a little difficulty. He had rested the sack on his stomach, and gripped the cracks in the brick for leverage.

Brady left a short while later, refusing Esme's offers for a shower and clean clothes, but laughing at her insistence of cleaning the chimney for next year. I hadn't expected him to accept, the smell was tolerable only to Jacob and Seth, the other wolves always avoided it. Jacob fell asleep on the couch, and the rest of us departed to our separate activities. Edward and I went upstairs to his room. It hadn't changed, even though we now lived in the cottage. His music collection was still in place, as was the king sized bed Renesmee was sleeping in. I smiled at the memories from when I was still human, and thought that bed was a great inconvenience. So much had changed since then, but I didn't find a bit of regret in any memories.

Edward sat down on the black leather sofa, pulling me on top of him. I nestled into his chest, and he kissed my hair. "How well do you think this will work?" I whispered.

He shrugged. "She's intelligent, she might figure it out. But Brady did very well; I don't think there's any way for her to know."

I smiled. "What was he thinking when Jacob told him he had agreed to go down a vampire's chimney?"

"Oh, that," Edward chuckled. "Well, he was shocked, and that's an understatement. His first reaction was 'Disgusting, the smell is bad enough out here.' Then he saw something funny about going down the chimney just like Santa Claus, that's why he was so agreeable. The scent didn't even bother him as much as he thought. I have to say I was impressed."

I laughed quietly, happy that everything had gone well. Now we just had to wait for Renesmee to wake to find out if it had been a true success.

A couple hours later the sun was up and Nessie stirred. She rolled over and blinked, dazzled by the sun's light. Edward darted next to her, Bending so his lips were by her ear.

"Santa Claus came down the chimney for you last night, Nessie," he crooned. She struggled to understand for a second, still disoriented from sleep. Then her eyes cleared and lit up, a bright smile stretching across her face. She knew the stories (thanks to Alice and Jacob both), and exactly what this meant. She jumped out of the bed and dashed down the hall to the living room at an almost vampire speed, still in her pink footie pajamas. Everyone else was already there, perched on the couches waiting for us. Alice must have warned them.

Edward and I followed her, and I saw Brady's work for the first time. Nessie's stocking was stuffed, and the gifts under the tree overflowed the tree skirt. Her eyes were filled with wonder as she danced around the room, taking everything in.

Alice held up a digital camera, posed for action. "Go ahead and open something, Nessie."

Like that was her cue she darted to the stocking, taking it down carefully and pulling out the top items, a cute hat and scarf set, a journal, and two books, Little Women and An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott. They would make good bedtime stories, as she quickly tired of the old ones. Alice snapped a picture when she put on her hat and scarf, though she scowled when they didn't match her pajamas.

Next were the presents, a beautiful large china doll from Carlisle and Esme, a cream colored silk bag from Alice and Jasper, Rosalie got her a musical jewelry box that played a melody Edward had composed for her when opened, and Emmett gave her a Giant Bubble kit, which made everyone laugh. Jacob had made her a necklace with a wolf charm he carved himself, knowing she was like me in liking homemade gifts. Edward and I had already gotten her her gift. When she went back to the cottage later she would find her room redecorated, with a light pink, white, and gold color scheme that Alice had helped choose.

After she finished opening the presents she looked up the chimney in wonder. Then she leapt over to me, pressing her hand to my cheek. Through her thoughts I saw that she could smell Brady's scent. She imagined following it, wondering if that was okay.

"Alright," I allowed, "but be careful in the chimney." As a mother, I couldn't resist adding the caution, even though I knew it was almost pointless.

Nessie darted to the fireplace and ducked under. She jumped to start the climb, using her full strength, and then pushed with her hands like a little monkey. She was far more efficient than Brady, and before I knew it she had climbed up and jumped back down, with only a light dusting of soot one her hands, and a few spots on her hair and clothes. An odd thing to be proud of, but I was still impressed.

"Why is Daddy's scent on the roof as well?" She inquired. She was intelligent, and was going to test this, like any child, though she could do it more thoroughly than a human was capable. I smiled, my story already in place.

"He had to check that it wasn't an intruder, you know how overprotective he is," I said, rolling my eyes convincingly and earning an approving look from Alice. Ever since the Volturi had visited and she had commented on my lack of "acting skills" I had been working to improve, with impressive results. This was clear as I looked into my daughter's wide eyes, dancing with wonder at the impossibilities presented by such evidence. I smiled, my heart swelling with pride. She was just like any child on Christmas morning, no matter her strange upbringing.

Renesmee seemed to believe this; her whole face was lit up at the very convincing proof that this magic was true. I laughed mentally at myself. I was a vampire, with a half human daughter, and I was trying to convince her that there was magic in the world? How ironic.

Alice couldn't stand Nessie's dirty appearance any longer. She leapt up and took her hand. "Time to get you dressed!" I laughed and followed them upstairs. We dressed her in an adorable blue sweater with tiny snowflakes embroidered on it, and a snowman on the pocket, with a white turtleneck underneath, black dress pants, and shiny black Mary Jane's. I left them with Alice running a brush rhythmically through Nessie's curls, tying them back in a matching blue ribbon, and headed for the cottage, where I was supposedly getting ready.

Once I was alone, I leaned against the wall and smiled, just enjoying the moment. I was even happier than usual. Everything had been perfect. And the day wasn't even over.

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**For this chapter I want to thank countrydoglover, who supported me (loudly) till I sat down and wrote, and Hanaharoo, who helped me decide on gifts. Also, faerie kitten, you're still amazing in everything you do for me! And love to all of you reading this! Have a great Holiday!**

**Love, Claire**


	3. Makeovers and More

**This is for all the Bellas in the world who have ever endured an Alice makeover.**

**I had a lot of fun writing this, enjoy!**

I was standing by the window, staring out the glass to the quiet pool behind our house, when I felt Edward's arms wrap around me from behind. I half turned, slowly so I could see him, and smiled at the thoughtful look in his eyes.

He gazed back at me and smiled "This is for you, love," he said, holding up a small box wrapped in red paper with a gold bow.

My smile faded to a stubborn pout. My human dislike of gifts had lingered, and I couldn't help resisting whenever he tried to give me things, which was often.

Still, there was no resisting the pleading, uncertain look in his eyes as he watched me from under his eyelashes. Even though I knew it was an act I could never resist it.

"The party isn't until tonight, you know," I said, giving in with a resigned sigh as I tugged the beautiful bow loose.

"Oh, I know." he answered with a triumphant grin so beautiful my breathing stuttered. "I thought you might want it before we get there." He was teasing now, a well-concealed mischievous light in his eye that I could detect only because I knew his face so well. I knew it was because he had won this battle, and I had accepted a gift without a real protest, something that he wished I would do more often. Even though I always gave in eventually, he hated that it was a challenge for me. I was honestly trying to be better about it, but it wasn't natural for me. My every instinct declared that attention was bad; to be avoided at all costs. I knew it wasn't rational, but that was how I felt. Years of being a clumsy human, avoiding attention, were hard to undo.

Giving him a last, martyred glance, I lifted the lid. Inside was a gorgeous silver necklace, with diamonds embedded to form an open heart. I stroked the gems in awe, refusing to allow my mind to consider the cost.

His long fingers pulled the chain from the wrappings, and he placed it around my neck. The pendant dipped just below the hollow of my throat.

"Beautiful," he said, his tone was so full of pride that I would have turned scarlet if I still had blood. Still, it made me happy that I could give Edward this kind of pleasure; even sacrificing my comfort level was a small price. And I had to admit that it truly was a beautiful gift.

I smiled "Thank you" I said graciously, truly meaning it. I still was not fond of surprises, but Edward would keep giving them to me, so I may as well put on a smile and endure it, for him. And it wouldn't make a difference if I protested, anyway.

"I love you," he replied simply.

I sighed with pleasure and leaned toward him. He mirrored my movement and our lips met in the middle. "I know," I murmured against him, perfectly content.

Edward and I broke apart at the sound of a knock on the door. Edward's eyes unfocused for a moment, then he smiled. "Come on in, Alice," he called casually as his favorite sister bounded though the door.

"Hey guys!" she trilled in her pixie voice. She then glanced at me with a smirk. "Ready, Bella?"

"For what?" I asked, eyeing her suspiciously.

Alice sighed. "To get ready," she said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Only then did I notice the white garment bag she was holding half behind her back. I groaned quietly, and her smirk became more pronounced. Then she turned and glared at Edward, obviously telling him something with her thoughts.

"Alright, I'm leaving," he said, throwing up his hands like a suspect confronted by a police officer. He bent down to kiss me again, then moved his lips to my ear to whisper "Have fun," in a teasing voice before he strode out of the cottage to join Emmett and Jasper, who I could hear having a snowball fight outside the big house. I glared at his back indignantly until he was out of sight.

When he was gone, Alice turned back to me. "You know the drill, Bella," she said with a slightly smug smile, which always meant I was in for a long hour, as she motioned me toward the bedroom.

Keeping the garment bag zipped, she used it to cover the full-length mirror she had insisted I put on the closet door. "Now, close your eyes," she ordered. "And don't even think about it, I know you were planning to peak."

I sighed in defeat. There really was no point in arguing with Alice. She always won.

I knew she was smiling even without sight as I felt the ruffles of silk slid over my head. I felt the wind as Alice dashed around me, adjusting a bit of fabric here and there. She then pulled me over to a chair and began working on my hair, still not allowing me to look.

A long hour of pulling and primping later and Alice was finally finished. I looked in the mirror and saw the result of Alice's work. The red dress looked lovely. It hung to my knees, the cap sleeves trailing to a v-neck that displayed Edward's necklace perfectly. The skirt was full and pleated.

My hair had been pulled back from my face, and flowed down my back in ringlets; small curls escaping to frame my face. I was very pretty, but the hour this had taken was unnecessary.

Just then, I heard a loud laugh came from the house, where the snowball fight was still going full force. An idea came to my mind, but I had to act quickly before Alice saw...

No luck, Alice saw my plan, and a murderous look came over her face. "No! Don't you dare!" she shrieked, but I was already dashing out of the cottage, laughing so hard that, were I human, I would have toppled straight into the ground. As it was, I made it to the yard easily; Alice was no match for me when it came to racing. The boys were already in view, and it was clear that they had no idea I was coming.

When I was near enough I scooped up some snow and aimed at Edward's back, taking him by surprise as he worked to fend off the slush Emmett was firing repeatedly at him. He turned, and his breathing stopped. His momentary shock at my appearance didn't last long; it was replaced by wide grin that I knew was caused by the humor in my eyes at catching him off guard. Even with the advantage of my silent thoughts, it was hard to do that, and I enjoyed it when I could. He scooped up more snow, but before he could throw it at me, Alice arrived. Everyone froze.

I turned, and hurled a snowball at her before she could speak. I put all my force into it. It was invisible as it flew through the air, and there was no hope of dodging it.

My desperate act worked. The look on her face when the icy blob made contact was priceless. She recovered quickly, a wicked, ominous grin replacing the shock. "So that's how you want it." She almost purred. This wouldn't end well.

I couldn't even see the snowball until it was plastered to my face. That second was all it took for the statues caused by her arrival to thaw, and the battle raged again. Jasper ran to Alice's side, while Edward stayed next to me. Emmett and Rosalie took their side. Emmett was targeting me, and had extremely accurate aim. I had a feeling his determination had something to do with the lost arm wrestling matches more than a year ago.

I didn't know exactly when Carlisle and Esme joined, but they were on our team, evening out the numbers. Renesmee darted around us, lobbing snowballs at Jacob, forcing him to Alice's side.

I remembered the snowball fights my old classmates had had back when I was in school. I had hated it then, running inside as soon as anyone came close to throwing the slush. This was so much different, with everyone running at vampire speed, ice flying so fast no human could see. I was laughing and ducking, trying to avoid the hard crystals, but I couldn't avoid all of them, and I was soaked in no time. I think most of the difference came from the fact that it wasn't cold to me, sharp edges of ice not painful as they bounced off my skin. My curls were coming undone, and the dress wasn't in such great shape, but this was worth Alice's wrath, I was having the time of my life.

A while later we all went inside, due to Nessie's exhaustion. I sat between Alice and Edward on the sofa, watching her warm herself by the fire. There was an adorable flush to her nose and ears. Even with her temperature keeping her from getting cold she still felt the extremes on occasion.

"You ruined the dress, you know," Alice commented, eyeing the dripping garment with annoyance.

I was unfazed. "It'll dry. Still, sorry I took off on you like that, it really did look great," I added with real sincerity, half-desperate for her to forgive me, but hiding it well.

That was all it took for her to forgive me. "Just be glad it's Christmas" She said in answer to my smirk.

"You know I love you, now stop worrying about the clothes," I chided. Edward laughed.

"Oh, stop," she snapped at him, but playfully. "You know you like seeing what I dress her in."

"That's true," he matched her teasing. "But you're not going to convince Bella to go along with that, and I'm almost required to be on her side."

"If that were true I'd win a lot more arguments," I interrupted, though I was struggling to keep a straight face as I spoke.

"That's just convincing you to agree with me, making my side your side," he was doing better than I was with controlling his expression, but I could still see the shadow of a laugh in his eyes. "Besides," he added, a comical note of innocence in his voice, "When do we _ever _argue?"

I gave up on my expression and laughed, along with everyone else in the room, they had naturally all been listening to our banter. "I suppose there's no point in even having this argument if I'm just going to run out as soon as Alice finishes."

Still laughing, Edward grabbed my waist and pulled me onto his lap. "You still look beautiful," he murmured, kissing me softly on the lips.

"And don't forget," Alice piped up, a wicked grin spreading over her face. "If you try that again I _will _See it and make you very miserable. You won't be allowed to pick your own outfits for a week. That includes sleepwear."

"Alice!" I hissed. She should know better, Renesmee was still in the room! Yet I couldn't deny that this threat scared me a little. No doubt the outfits would be atrocious and nothing close to what I considered appropriate. As for sleepwear, that could prove to be interesting.

"Don't worry, love, she doesn't understand," Edward whispered, much too soft for Nessie's half human ears. Then he used a more normal tone. "And if that's the punishment, I might encourage you to do just that."

I groaned. "Are you sure you're on my side?" This earned another round of laughter around the room.

Alice was suddenly very serious. "We still need to get you dried off; we're going to Charlie's in less than an hour."

"Do I have to?" I whined, not caring that I sounded a little like a stubborn child.

"Even Nessie is more willing than you. And yes, you do."

I left my place on Edward's lap unwillingly, moving at human pace up the stairs to Alice's huge bathroom. I knew she would force me to do this, but the snowball fight had been worth it.

"You're the one who got in the snowball fight," she said patronizingly, slipping in behind me.

I ignored her, and kept it up for the next forty-three minutes. Then it was time to leave for the party.

**Ah, revenge. I've read so many Fics where Bella is the victim to Alice's makeovers, and I thought it was about time she got back at her. And of course she'll forgive her, it's Christmas! **

**Hope you liked it! Please review! **

**Love, Claire**


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